Stacked trays

ABSTRACT

A pack for transporting a plurality of individual meals ready for service comprises a number of interfitting trays which are stacked into a pack which can quickly be fastened together for stable transport.

UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,582,338 4/1926 Lopez et a1 206/4 Unite Statesate 1 1191 [11] 3,851,754

Jones 1 1 Dec. 3, 1974 1 STACKED TRAYS 1,863,793 6/1932 Hermani 220/94 Ax 2,595,113 4/1952 Taberer 206 4 x [75] Inventor! Ralph GOdfreY JonesMarkfield, 2,908,382 10/1959 Turner 206/72 x England I 2,923,512 2/1960Campbell 206/65 B x 3,240,610 3/1966 Cease 220/23.6 x [73'] Asslgnee' gSgark Syston 3,250,434 5/1966 Howlett 220 94 A an 3,744,663 7/1973 Moren206 4 D [22] 1972 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS pp 303,345 1,456,9179/1966 France 229/1310. 11 662,824 12/1951 Great Britain... 206/4224,413 11/1924 Great Britain 206/4 [30] Fme'gn Appllcatlm Pmmy Data119,050 6/1947 Sweden 206 4 Feb. 4, 1972 Great Britain 5263 72 PrimaryExaminer-William I. Price [32] US. Cl 206/549, 206/509. 220/4 D, ASS/5mmExaminer Steven E Lipman 220/94 A Attorney, A em, or Firm-Larson, Taylorand Hinds g [51] Int. Cl. A45c 11/20, 865d 21/02 [58] Field of Search206/4, 46 FC, 65 B, 72;

220/4 C, 4 D, 23.6, 94 R, 94 A, 94 B, 97 R, [57] ABSTRACT 97 B; 229/1161 l A pack for transporting a plurahty of Individual meals ready forservice comprises a number of interfitting [56] References Cited trayswhich are Stacked into a pack which can quickly be fastened together forStable transport.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENTEL DEC 31974 SHEET 2 UP 3 PATENTEU DEC97 SHEET 3 or 3 STACKED TRAYS The subject of this invention is anarrangement which can be used to put up a plurality of separate meals ina unitary pack which is readily carried, conveniently stowable, andreadily disassembled into component parts each carrying a separate meal.

To this end it comprises a plurality of stackable, interfitting trayseach formed with recessed compartments to receive foodstuffs, cutlery,drinking vessels, or other amenities, and a cover which is placed on andinterfits with the topmost tray and has attached to it a handle andquick-release tie means to retain the pack of trays and cover assembled.

Thus, in use, each tray can be loaded with the elements of an individualmeal, the loaded trays stacked one on another, the cover applied, thetie means fastened, so that the meals can be transported in a unitarypack and quickly distributed as and where required.

A facility of this nature can find a very wide range of uses. A primaryexample is that of family or party picnicing, when the individual mealscan be readily laid out prior to the departure for the picnic and beimmediately available on arrival at the luncheon site, even in instanceswhere the terrain might normally be awkward for the setting out of ameal. Again, other uses which are envisaged are for example in caravans,in hotels, on aircraft, in trains, coaches, boats or other means oftransport, at conferences and so on.

In one advantageous form each tray comprises a top surface with adepending skirt around the perimeter thereof, the junction between thisperimeter and the skirt being rebated to interfit with the bottom edgeof the skirt of the tray next above it, and locating means comprisinglugs constituted by interruptions in said rebating for cooperation withcorresponding locating recesses in the said bottom edge of the nexttray. This provides for a neat compact and stable pack which can bereadily handled without disturbing its assembly and contents.

The tie means may take various forms but in one useful arrangementcomprise resilient binding cords with claw clips at the two ends thereoffor engagement in said locating recesses in the lowest tray of the pack.

As will be appreciated the layout of the individual trays can varyaccording to anticipated requirements, but in accordance with a furtherfeature of the inven tion, one or more of these compartments will beprovided with an upstanding rim to receive a sealing lid for thecompartment concerned. This will not only help to isolate thecompartments from one another, and hence keep the odours from passingbetween compartments, but will also provide a facility for conservingthe particular thermal conditions of the contents, for example certainitems may be kept warm even during transport, whilst in other cases itmay be ice or other cooling means may be included in the compartment tokeep the temperature low.

The cover will of course, preferably follow the outline shape of theindividual trays and can have interfitting means corresponding to thoseon the latter. In addition it will be provided with a carrier handle,and this will advantageously be so devised as not to project beyond theflush surfaces of the pack, and interfere with the stackability of thelatter. For this reason the cover may be provided with a central recessand have a handle of bar form spanning this recess and flush with theupper surface of the cover.

A specific form of amenity pack according to the invention will now bedescribed with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a front view showing the pack assembled and tied;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective illustration of the upper part of thepack illustrated in FIG. 1, and

FIG. 3 is a vertical cross section through the assembled pack.

Referring to the drawings, the individual trays of the pack have beendesignated 1, the cover 2, the carrying handle 3 and the binding cords4.

Referring now to FIGS. 2 and 3 it will be observed that each tray 1 isof hollow form comprising a main rectangular surface 5 with a dependingperimetrical skirt 6. It may be made ofa synthetic plastics material,for example polypropylene or hard polyethene, by injection moulding or avacuum forming method.

In the particular instance illustrated it has a main rectangular recess7 which can accommodate individual dishes, packages, and so on (notshown), depending on the purpose or function for which the pack is beingused at any time. In addition it has a smaller circular recess 8 whichagain can be used for various purposes, for example to hold a liquidcontainer. A third elongated recess 9 in the tray may be used to houseother items, for example plastic cutlery. It will be noted that recesses7 and 8 have upstanding rims 10, I1 and that corresponding detachablecovers 12, 13 may be arranged as a snap sealing fit on these rims forthe purpose indicated above.

It will further be observed that the top 5 of each tray 1 is providedwitha rounded perimetrical rebate, or groove, 14 which is interrupted atthe front and rear sides of the tray to form lugs 15. When the pack isassembled the bottom edge of the skirt 6 of a tray will seat on therebate 14 of the tray next below it, and the lugs 15 on this latter traywill mate with corresponding recesses 16 provided in the skirt 6 of thefirstmentioned tray. This will serve to locate the assembled traysagainst any relative movement.

The cover 2 is of a shape conforming to that of the trays, and the skirt17 thereof is provided with recesses 16 for engagement with the lugs 15of the topmost of the assembled trays. The upper surface of this cover 2is formed with a central recess 18 and themselves spanned by thecarrying handle 3. As will be particularly observed from FIGS. 2 and 3,this handle 3 comprises a channel-form moulding with enlarged ends 19which are received in corresponding recesses 20 in the cover so that thesurface of the handle, when assembled, lies flush with the upper surfaceof cover 2 (see FIG. 3). The enlarged ends 19 of the handle arethemselves provided with separable caps 21 which serve to trap andfasten the tie cords 4 of the pack which are received in these ends 19.The handle, and the caps 21 are held fastened and assembled by fasteningnut and bolt arrangements designated 22.

The cords are of strong woven elastic and are provided at their endswith quick fastening claws 23 which engage with recesses 16 in thebottom most tray of the pack. This form of tying of the trays enablesthe number of those used in the pack to be varied to suit a particularoccasion.

I claim:

1. An assembly of stacked interfitting trays, each tray comprising a topwith a depending skirt around the perimeter thereof, a groove formed atthe junction between the top and the skirt and extending about theperimeter of the tray, said groove interfitting with the bottom edge ofan identically shaped skirt of the tray next above it in the stack, eachtray having at least two locating recesses in the bottom edge of theskirt and at least two raised lugs formed by interruptions in saidgroove and extending upwardly from the plane of the bottom of thegroove, the lugs being shaped to mate with and positioned along thegroove to fit snugly into said recesses of an identically shaped skirtof the tray next above it in the stack, and recessed compartments formedinto said top,

and further including,

a cover disposed above the uppermost tray, said cover including a saiddepending skirt with recesses interfitting with the groove and the lugsof the uppermost tray, respectively, a handle attached to the cover, anda quick release tie means about all of the trays and the cover forholding the assembly together as a unitary pack.

2. An assembly according to claim 1, in which the tie means compriseresilient binding cords with claw clips at the two ends thereof engagingsaid locating recesses in the lowest tray of the assembly 3. An assemblyaccording to claim 1, in which at least one of the recessed compartmentsof each tray is provided with an upstanding rim to receive a sealing lidfor the compartment concerned 4. An assembly according to claim 1, inwhich the cover is centrally recessed and has a bar handle spanning thisrecess and flush with the upper surface of the COVCl'.

1. An assembly of stacked interfitting trays, each tray comprising a topwith a depending skirt around the perimeter thereof, a groove formed atthe junction between the top and the skirt and extending about theperimeter of the tray, said groove interFitting with the bottom edge ofan identically shaped skirt of the tray next above it in the stack, eachtray having at least two locating recesses in the bottom edge of theskirt and at least two raised lugs formed by interruptions in saidgroove and extending upwardly from the plane of the bottom of thegroove, the lugs being shaped to mate with and positioned along thegroove to fit snugly into said recesses of an identically shaped skirtof the tray next above it in the stack, and recessed compartments formedinto said top, and further including, a cover disposed above theuppermost tray, said cover including a said depending skirt withrecesses interfitting with the groove and the lugs of the uppermosttray, respectively, a handle attached to the cover, and a quick releasetie means about all of the trays and the cover for holding the assemblytogether as a unitary pack.
 2. An assembly according to claim 1, inwhich the tie means comprise resilient binding cords with claw clips atthe two ends thereof engaging said locating recesses in the lowest trayof the assembly.
 3. An assembly according to claim 1, in which at leastone of the recessed compartments of each tray is provided with anupstanding rim to receive a sealing lid for the compartment concerned.4. An assembly according to claim 1, in which the cover is centrallyrecessed and has a bar handle spanning this recess and flush with theupper surface of the cover.